SYSTEM FOR THE SAFETY OF WORKERS INSTALLING ESCALATORS

Abstract

A system for the safety of those installing escalator systems having structural supports. A hand-rail is utilized having at least one post, each post made of an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion contains a top rail slot and a bottom rail slot for a cable to pass through, the cable is tensioned at a cable tension mount which can be located along the side of the escalator structure or to the bottom ground surface or top ground surface. The lower portion of the post contains a bottom mount and mid-bottom mount, which mount to the side of the escalator structure at the desired location of the user. This hand-rail system eliminates the need for a worker to wear a safety harness and tether to a cable which restricts motion.

Claims

1. A temporary, reusable system for the safety of workers installing escalators having structural supports, comprising: (a) at least one post, said at least one post having an upper portion and a lower portion; (b) said at least one post having a bottom mount and mid-bottom mount on said lower portion of said at least one post; (c) said bottom mount having a support bracket connected to a back side of said at least one post, said support bracket having a slot connectable to a bottom cross member of an escalator; (d) said mid-bottom mount having a hooking bracket connected to said back side of said at least one post, said hooking bracket connectable to a top cross member of the escalator; (e) said at least one post having a top rail slot connected to said back side of said upper portion of said at least one post at a top of said back side of said at least one post; (f) said at least one post having a bottom rail slot connected to said back side of said upper portion of said at least one post at a middle of said back side of said at least one post; (g) said top rail slot having an opening through a substantial center of said top rail slot; (h) said bottom rail slot having an opening through a substantial center of said bottom rail slot; (i) at least one cable of proper length, said cable slotted through said top rail slot and said bottom rail slot; (j) at least one cable tension mount, said at least one cable tension mount connectable to a side surface of an escalator.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising: said at least one cable tension mount connectable at a ground surface at the bottom end of said escalator.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising: said at least one cable tension mount connectable at a ground surface at the top end of said escalator.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising: said at least one cable tension mount having a plurality of cable tension mounts connectable at both the top and bottom ends of said escalator.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising: said at least one cable tension mount connectable to any point on the escalator sides.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising: said upper portion fastenable to lower portion by bolt.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, further comprising: said upper portion adjustable in height for different widths between said top cross-member and said bottom cross member on the side of an escalator structure.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising: said mid-bottom mount having an adjustable threaded locking bolt, said adjustable threaded locking bolt contactable with said top cross member of said escalator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1a is a first conceptual view of the present invention that is upward from the lowermost point of the escalator system.

[0012] FIG. 1b is a second conceptual view of the present invention that is toward the side escalator structure.

[0013] FIG. 1c is third a conceptual view of the present invention that is downward from the uppermost portion of an escalator.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the present invention downward from the uppermost portion of an escalator.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the present invention upward from the lowermost point of an escalator.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the present invention from a ground perspective at the side profile of an escalator.

[0017] FIG. 5 is an isolated view of the at least one post and its aspects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] For a more complete understanding of the present invention and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description of various illustrative and non-limiting embodiments thereof, taking in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like features.

[0019] A standard, fully assembled, escalator typically has a handrail, steps on a conveyor, a bottom ground surface, and a top ground surface. Whether the escalator is moving or not, handrails provide patrons an element of safety which can be utilized during physically stair climbing or ascension with the escalator. Now, throughout the majority of the escalator construction and installation process, the handrails are not present and that is where the current invention becomes important.

[0020] Conceptual views are shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b, and 1c to demonstrate how the overall invention will be implemented in a multi-story building escalator construction. In FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the present invention is shown from multiple perspectives. More specifically, in FIG. 2, a downward view of the invention in its preferred embodiment looking down to the bottom ground surface 24 from an area of the escalator nearing the top. At least one post 28, here in the preferred embodiment a plurality of posts 28, with only the upper portion 30 in sight, are shown with a cable 32 that extends to each end of the escalator. The cable 32 is slotted through both a top rail slot 34 and bottom rail slot 36. The top rail slot 34 and bottom rail slot 36 suspend the cable 32 at a proper height in order to meet the varying heights of a person either standing, sitting, or crouching while working on the escalator.

[0021] In FIG. 3, the cable 32 can clearly be seen as fastened to a cable tension mount 38 that is made up of an end plate 40 which can be clipped to a kind of clip such as a Crosby Clip, not shown, that is commonly seen in fastening cable ends. The end plates 40 are mounted to the top cross member of the escalator structure 54a, seen more clearly in FIG. 4. The cable 32 can be tensioned at multiple points on the escalator depending on what the scope of work in the installation may be at a given point. At some times it is best to have the cable 32 span the whole length of the escalator, sometimes it may be best to only tension it down to a certain distance, it can vary.

[0022] Focusing on the at least one post 28, FIGS. 4 and 5 give the best view of the post 28 in its entirety. FIGS. 4 and 5 showcase a bottom mount 46 and mid-bottom mount 44 on the lower portion 42 of the post 28. In the preferred embodiment, the upper portion 30 and lower portion 42 are two separate pieces which can be mated together by a mating point 48, whereby the upper portion 30 fits into the lower portion 42 and can be secured by a bolt 50. The upper portion 30 therefore becomes adjustable depending on the different widths associated with the side of the escalator structure for which it will be utilized, more specifically the width between the top cross member of the escalator structure 54a and bottom cross member 54b. There are two modes of post 28 installation, one-piece and-two piece. An embodiment in which there is one-piece installation insists that the upper portion 30 and lower portion 42 already be secured at the mating point 48 and a two-piece installation sees the lower portion 42 installed before the upper portion 30 is mated. Looking at FIG. 4, it can be seen that the bottom mount 46 and mid-bottom mount 44 must fit within the edges of the side of the escalator structure.

[0023] In a one-piece installation embodiment, it is desirable to insert the lower portion into the side of the escalator structure at a 45-degree angle to be able to then re-adjust the post back to a 90-degree angle once the mid-bottom mount slots into the top cross member of the escalator structure 54a, at the bottom cross member of the escalator structure 54b as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As it is put back to the 90-degree position, the mid-bottom mount will rest on the bottom side of the escalator structure 54b, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Once in place, the mid-bottom mount can be secured to the top cross member of the escalator structure 54a by a locking-bolt 52.

[0024] In a two-piece installation, the same process as described above wherein the lower portion enters at a 45-degree angle and then rotated back to 90-degrees to be fastened by the locking-bolt 52. Once the lower portion 42 is in place, the upper portion 30 can be simply mated into the lower portion 42 and fastened with the bolt 50.

[0025] The present invention remains on the escalator until the permanent handrails (20) as seen in FIG. 1 are installed on the escalator, eliminating the need for the worker to wear a safety harness and tether to a cable which becomes tedious and cumbersome on the worker's range of motion.

[0026] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what he has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.

[0027] While there has been shown and described above the preferred embodiment of the instant invention it is to be appreciated that the invention may be embodied otherwise than is herein specifically shown and described and that, within said embodiment, certain changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the underlying ideas or principles of this invention as set forth in the claims appended herewith.